This invention relates communication satellites, and more particularly relates to adaptable links between such a satellite and a ground-based wideband network.
Providing reliable high bandwidth links between spacecraft (or other vehicles) and fixed ground-based sites has been a goal for many years. High frequency bands which have greater usable bandwidth generally suffer from greater sensitivity to propagation conditions and typically have worse availability for power limited links. Systems with large numbers of links also suffer from lower reliability due to the increased likelihood of hardware failure. This invention addresses these problems and provides a solution.